Chapter 55: Gamble
Lucas wasn’t the only one reeling. Gary gripped his hammer so tightly his knuckles were white. Joe looked ready to bolt, only frozen in place by sheer terror. Mary’s usual calm had fractured, replaced by grim acceptance.
Susan whipped her head around, glare fixed squarely on Hana who stood stoically near the back, her expression unchanged.
"Hana!" Susan’s voice was sharp, cutting through the thick silence. "Rank 6? Are you kidding me? Look at this!" She gestured wildly at the assembled spider army, the impossibly powerful Queen on her throne. "This isn’t Rank 6! This is suicide!"
"She’s right," Gary added, his voice low and rough. "What did command tell you? What the hell did they send us into?"
Hana met their accusing stares coolly. "My orders were to investigate the anomaly and retrieve lost Guild assets. The Rank 6 designation was based on initial readings before the dungeon shifted." It was a half-truth, carefully worded.
"Bullshit!" Susan spat. "That thing on the throne could wipe out half the city guard, let alone us! We were set up!"
While the team confronted Hana, Fin remained silent, his attention locked forward. He ignored the guards, the impossible odds. His gaze met the Queen’s across the vast chamber. She stared back, a faint, almost curious smile playing on her lips, her two deep eyes holding an ancient, unsettling intelligence. It felt less like a Queen observing intruders and more like a scientist studying insects.
Then, she spoke. Her voice wasn’t loud, yet it filled the chamber, resonating not just in their ears but deep within their bones. It was soft, melodic, almost soothing.
"Human," she said, her gaze never leaving him. "How long do you intend to hold onto my child?"
The power laced within that soft voice slammed into them like a physical blow. Gary staggered, dropping to one knee. Susan gasped, bracing herself. Lucas and Joe cried out, collapsing onto the dais. Mary swayed, her face pale but determined. Even Hana flinched, her composure cracking for a split second.
Only Fin remained standing fully upright, though the pressure was immense, forcing him to plant his feet wider, gritting his teeth against the crushing weight of her presence. He still held Arachne’s arm in a firm grip.